The Reel Rejects - CONTACT (1997) IS MIND-BLOWING! MOVIE REVIEW!!

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Starting point is 00:01:01 Protein without all the work at participating restaurants in Canada. Thank you to Hewell for sponsoring this video. More on them in just a bit. I just read it on there. He says Oscar nominee contact. So let's get it. I'm going to count us down in three, two, one. Wow.

Starting point is 00:01:21 We just, yeah, Robert Zemeckis, Bravo. We just got done watching Contact. If you are listening to us on Apple or Spotify, it gives a five-star rating. Yes, do it. You know, leave the comments, like the, like the video, share the video. You guys know what to do.

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Starting point is 00:01:52 We're going to be sharing those pictures of people wearing them. We're very, very excited to do that. Wow, this movie is so freaking good. I loved it. I mean, I loved this movie. It had heart in it and like the way that the character moves through like before, it's like she has to have, she has zero faith. But then even when she comes to basically at the very, very end when they ask her like,

Starting point is 00:02:25 don't you think that that you should have that are you asking us just to have a little bit of faith in like what you're saying and she still sticks by her guns and so does Matthew McConaughey but in a way they find that their visions can sort of meld together like it doesn't have to be science against God or God against science faith against so you're right Alan Sylvester that they don't have to compete with each other that I think it can be both and I believe that as well that I don't think one has to cancel out the other yeah no I agree with you wow I'm just I'm stunned by this movie it got me tell us your thoughts I completely agree with your point that's a good point uh in terms of like she I like that she stuck with her guns and uh you know didn't compromise who she is but again I like that catharsis that she got when she saw her father which was such a

Starting point is 00:03:17 beautiful moment it really had me in tears um and you know I was it was a good subversion of expectations in terms of I think we were both expecting to see aliens But I like that they chose to do that Because that's the form that she would most relate to It's her father So I think that was wise choice And I love that to that line that they said to her like You know, we were you contacted us

Starting point is 00:03:38 We were just listening I love that line But also too I thought it was a beautiful arc for her character Because this was her life's work Which she got to accomplish in such a beautiful way But I thought to you know Just like she got the closure from her father That she finally needed to get

Starting point is 00:03:53 Because she felt so guilty which it wasn't her fault, she was just a little kid, you know, not having pills downstairs and all. But then the whole thing about not letting anyone too close to her, obviously, you know, when I say that, I'm speaking, obviously, about Matthew McConaughey. But, you know, because of what has happened to her, you know, she lost her mother at birth and then lost her father in a very tragic way. So she's not, you know, in a position where she feels she can open up her heart because she's afraid to lose people, understandably so. So that line, like, you know, how we, you know, find, you know, the whole. whole line about, you know, where we find closure and compass in each other. I just thought that was beautiful and endearing. And now, like, she can have a relationship with him, like, and, and be

Starting point is 00:04:34 happy with him. And I love that. I thought that was just beautiful. Again, it was very cathartic. And I thought that was just a very beautiful arc for her character. Yeah. Having said that the visuals in this film, the cinematography, top freaking notch. Also, too, I love, I mean, I'm already pretty dumb as it is, but I love that this film made me feel extra dumb. with the sciencey stuff was also great. Yeah. Like a lot of the dialogue was like, this is going way over my head,

Starting point is 00:05:00 but I loved it. It was great. Like I just, I love that these actors were able to like, holy shit, I really feel like they are science. Like they're playing who they're, they're supposed to be playing these scientists and all and such.

Starting point is 00:05:10 Right. Also, too, a thing I love about sci-fi films, Tara, I love when they can, because it's completely fantasy based in terms of like what they're trying to do with going through the wormhole into this alien, whatever,

Starting point is 00:05:21 where they went. But I like how it's still. felt grounded in reality like how would the earth respond to this and react to this kind of thing and I thought they captured that in a very sensical way like there would be these religious nuts and then there would be these people like take a you know what I mean I just thought that it was again very grounded in reality yeah it was very realistic it's as though like when we when we're shooting off you know probably in the 70s or 60s whenever we shoot off the first rocket to space or whatnot sure that that's what it looked like right like in Houston I guess of people piled

Starting point is 00:05:54 in there and believers or non-believers and why are we doing this. I like that they brought in faith into play in saying that 95% of the people in the world would want the message to be shared that we believe in a God in United we trust, right? Kind of a thing. And then also with her science background in saying and proving to us that it's really not needed. I liked her argument in saying, well, I would prefer that there's a language if you're going to send up someone who understands their language in the way that they're trying to communicate to us. And that's what she spent her life doing. And at the end of the day, she kind of didn't need either. And when she comes back, I mean, the beautiful way that they were like, we thought

Starting point is 00:06:45 this would be an easier way to digest this. And that was Vagans choosing a representation of her father to give to her. That's like extra advanced, right? And I thought that was that was really, really beautiful and in not sending her back with any proof except for, you know, when we find out that 18 hours of static is on the camera, that is quite a switch that I loved. Because now we do have the scientific somewhat evidence, but also it still has to be based on faith in what she saw because we don't see the image. And that's how they both come together in this. And how we're representing two different parts of society in this. Ones that were very like, you know, science, ones who are very Bible-first and like believe in God and forget about the science. And I really

Starting point is 00:07:45 loved how this movie doesn't pit you against one or the other just goes with it and I really love that. Yeah, no, the way the religious overtones and the scientific overtones are just intertwined with each other. I think it's just very seamlessly, but not over your head and like pick aside here kind of

Starting point is 00:08:01 thing. Not at all. Yeah, and very done. By the way, I did see in the cast when they were showing the member of the guy said, I think that was my old acting coach. Was it? It was. It was. That was pretty cool to see. He had good accent. Yes, he did. And that was funny too because we did another film yesterday which I won't mention but there was a very famous

Starting point is 00:08:19 actress on there and I said she was in my old acting class member I took it. Oh yeah yeah yeah but we won't we won't say which movie that was so it's back to back movies from like one of my fellow acting cast members are in an acting class and then my acting coach in a movie I'm like I'm on a roll here two in a row um but uh yeah

Starting point is 00:08:37 no uh also too I got to say like we talked about IMDB why you're saying that we talked about how good the cinematography was in this film. And for the most part, I feel like in a film in 1997, I have no idea what the budget was on this. Right. I feel like visually, it still holds up pretty well. I mean, how did you, I mean, the shot where she was in that, what, that ball, or I forgot what it was called, but the thing that takes. The ball. Yeah. That production was. That was amazing. And that, and how it was rotating. Then when the bomb thing went off to with Jake Busey's character and then it was coming at the extras, like, that was all. It was amazing. Guess the budget.

Starting point is 00:09:16 Okay, so this is 1997. Yeah. What do you think it was? Okay, I'm going to go two guesses. I'm going to go 95 mil and 125 mil. Oh, you're very close. It was 90 million. And let's see what the box office.

Starting point is 00:09:30 And by the way, I got to also give praise all the, by the way, amazing cast, by the way. Yes, beautiful. I loved, I loved everyone on the chemistry between Jody Foster and Matthew McConae, fantastic. I loved all their scenes together, their interactions. They really were yin and yang. I mean, I like the, again, we talked about, you know, the whole how this film doesn't make you pick aside between religion and science,

Starting point is 00:09:53 and I like the contrast between them. Yeah. But they still found a way to find respect and love for each other. And I really appreciated that. Yeah. But again, their chemistry was freaking electric. They were so good together. It was great.

Starting point is 00:10:04 I'm surprised that we hadn't seen more like maybe the 90s, early 2000s, more of McConaughey and Jody together because they make such, they're just such powerhouses of actors with two different vibes and they really bring a lot to the table and a lot to work with and I really, I mean, I loved it.

Starting point is 00:10:22 And as amazing as everyone in the cast did in this film to me, I mean, again, she's the star of the movie, but she really, she stood out to me the most. I mean, that's seen in the court, or the hearing at the end. That's probably the nominee. Probably for Best Picture

Starting point is 00:10:36 and you had, I assume Jody had to get a nominee for best actress. Oh, I'm going to, well, I know what film beat this in best picture. It's obvious. Titanic. Oh, okay. Got it. That movie won like every Academy Award in 1998 for the year of 97. Oh, okay.

Starting point is 00:10:52 Rejagnation, I'm interrupted this video because the start of this year, here's some photos. I started off at 218 pounds and had over 20% body fat. Since then, I've dropped close to 50 pounds. I am now at 7.9% body fat. Pretty proud of the results. Now I'm focused on like building muscle. so when i tell you i take health seriously i really do mean it that's why a few times a week i do drink today's video sponsor huel i love these guys we have three fridges here at the office and each fridge

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Starting point is 00:12:20 So if you'd like to actually help support the channel, and more importantly, support your health. You can try both today and get 15% off your first order as a new customer at huel.com slash rejects with code rejects. Once again, that's huel.com slash rejects code rejects. Use the code and fill out the post checkout survey to help some. support the show. Thank you again, Huell, for being a big part of my lifestyle. Yeah, Titanic won everything. Well, contact box office was 20 million, but overall worldwide, it has made 171. So they did. It should have made more than that. I agree. It was, it was 20 million and then it was 70.

Starting point is 00:12:59 It was ranking second place right behind, guess the movie, 1997. Starts with an M. I wonder if Encyclopedia over here can guess it. They got sunglasses and are also asked to do with aliens. Oh, God, I feel stupid right now. Men in Black. Oh, men in black. Duh. So. Barry Sonnenfeld. Yeah, which I guess, like, not surprised.

Starting point is 00:13:21 That movie made so much money in 97. Oh, my God, okay. I didn't know this. We're going to go into trivia. Arthur and producer Carl Sagan died during production. For Carl. He was reportedly taking great care to ensure that the science, was accurately depicted in this movie.

Starting point is 00:13:41 I felt authentic. I mean, I don't know what's on a science, but it felt authentic to me. I feel that so much. Wow, the fact that it says for Carl, and now we know why, that's, oh, man, God, that makes me feel some stuff right there. Did it say he passed away during production?

Starting point is 00:13:59 During production. He sure did. And he probably spent a lot of his life to ensure that the science behind it was right. The remark made, throughout the movie by different characters that if humans were only, were the only life in the universe, it would be a terrible waste of space.

Starting point is 00:14:14 It's a famous quote by Carl Sagan. It references a statement by the Scottish essayist Thomas Carlyle. Considering the potential worlds of other stars a sad spectacle, a sad spectacle if they be inhabited what a scope for misery and folly.

Starting point is 00:14:30 If they be not inhabited, what a waste of space. Quite the quote. Carl Sagan is all up in here. Carl Sagan was to Camio, a member of the committee, but he died before the scene was filmed. Poor Carl. That is sad, right?

Starting point is 00:14:44 Poor Carl. Okay, interesting here. Producer and director Robert Zemeckis had initially approached Sidney Poitiers to play the president. But he turned down the role in favor of the Jackal, which was filmed 1997. Yes, that was with Bruce Willis and Richard Gere.

Starting point is 00:14:59 I never saw that film, but yeah, I know which film that is. Shortly after, so we're going to get an answer to the Clinton thing here, shortly after Poitier's refusal, Zemeca saw a now, announcement in August 1996, Clinton gave his Mars rock speech. So that's what it was. Zemeckx explained, I swear to God,

Starting point is 00:15:16 it was like it was scripted for the movie. So we were wondering. Yeah, because they kept going out of focus every time they had whatever actor they had playing him. And like I said, Robert Zemeckis and whoever worked on the visual team of Forrest Gump

Starting point is 00:15:29 did such an amazing job of John of Kennedy, Lyndon Mains Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Elvis. I thought they captured them so, especially for 1994. and so it would have made sense like you seamlessly could easily do it but I was like then okay well Clinton was still alive

Starting point is 00:15:44 but he's also the president at the time can you get hey I'm Mr. President can you work for us for a few days he said that when he heard the line we will continue to listen closely to what it has to say he almost died and I'm like yep that's it's perfect for your

Starting point is 00:16:00 film that's freaking wild um okay let's get into some spoilers the vehicle and Dr. Ellie Arrowway travels through the warmhole system is a sphere surrounded by a Dota Cahedron, the fourth platonic solid, with 12 pentagonal faces.

Starting point is 00:16:17 Some Greek philosophers thought it represented the structure of the universe. That was a lot of scientific words. I was going to say, did you feel like extra smart saying that? Not really. I just was like, I'll shoot this out.

Starting point is 00:16:30 Don't really know what it means. But okay. Okay, it was a spear. That's what I meant to say. But I'm not smart enough to realize. that. I'm like, okay, so let's see. Oh, okay. So during one of her trips through the wormhole, we see some crescent sparks in there when she lands on the alien beach. When she meets her father, she picks up a handful of sand and for the grains of in the sand sparkle. That's a callback

Starting point is 00:16:58 to the very end of the movie when she picks up that sand. Same sparkle in the same crescent, which I like that. I'm glad they said that because I was thinking that when we saw that. in my, I was like, in my head, is like, is that the same sparkle we saw when she was in the, when, when she met the aliens and realized her dad, yeah. So I didn't realize this was like off a book, but it says in Carl Sagan's book, the capsule returns with a small amount of sand on the floor. Oh. Further proof that Ellie was telling the truth. I was going to say, if she came back with the sand in this movie, like, I don't know if it would have been like, you wouldn't have had to have those hearing scenes because it's like, where did the sand come from? Like, did I just imagine it here?

Starting point is 00:17:37 Right. Did I hallucinate the sand? So it makes sense in the movie not to have that to give her the whole paranoia, you know, paranoid delusions. And push just more into that face inside. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. So I understand like excluding that from the movie. That makes, that makes sense. I got one last one. It's about the suicide pill.

Starting point is 00:17:55 So it's a suicide pill scene is controversial. Carl Sagan claimed that such pills were made available on all NASA emissions to be used. That's why when I saw it, I was like, that's cyanide. I knew right away. But used it fast. were unable to return to Earth. Former astronaut Jim Lovel, commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission, disputes that claim. NASA is short for national aeronautics and space administration.

Starting point is 00:18:22 So who knows, man, I kind of believe it. I think they gave that to people in war, too. Right. So that's... Taste you're captured or something like... Yeah, right. Yeah, you're going to be tortured or whatever. Tortured, like, down the hatch, we go.

Starting point is 00:18:36 Yeah. wild thing to think about, I saw nothing wrong with this movie. Carl Sagan, the fact that this is what you left behind and that you made sure that the science behind it was based in like full facts and we couldn't find anything wrong with it, not that I would, but I love that and it's such a send-off to you and what you wrote and like all, everything that you put into it. I think like, wow, that's, that's quite a love letter to filmmaking and to what what your heart was about. And I really adore this movie.

Starting point is 00:19:10 I'm not surprised that it was an Oscar nominee. I think it should have won a bunch of things. Yeah. And that's, I mean, 10 out of 10 for me. And I'm so glad that I was here to watch it with you guys. You got me? Just, yeah, no, it was amazing. Another home run for Zemeckis, in my opinion.

Starting point is 00:19:30 Just that sense of wonder and discovery. Jody Foster, phenomenal performance. I love her character arc, the catharsis, she gets, just the closure with her father, the chemistry with Matthew McConaughey, all the performances by this amazing, amazing cast, the visuals, the music by Alan Silvestri, the producer Carl, sorry, he passed. Great job, though, assembling this film, the production design, the costume designs, just so many more things I could just say.

Starting point is 00:19:58 I mean, it's like, we can't cover it all. Yeah, it's a phenomenal film. I loved it so much. Agreed. It's like, if you haven't seen contact, I don't know. I feel like I want to be like, I'm about to, I almost sneeze during that sentence. That was weird. I've never been talking to where I feel like I have to stop to sneeze.

Starting point is 00:20:15 I feel like now I'm going to be wandering around being like, if you haven't seen contact, I don't know what you're doing with your life. Because this movie's brilliant. Contact your nearest streamer and get on it. And get on it, you guys. We love you so much. Make sure that you like this. Please comment.

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The Reel Rejects - CONTACT (1997) IS MIND-BLOWING! MOVIE REVIEW!!

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